Our Story

Company

Why Us

Mission

Core Values

Projects

‘Pennies for Haiti’ is a 501(c)(3) organization, registered in the state of Florida, was founded in 2010 as a non-profit organization guided by Christian values. We are helping underprivileged children through various projects, such as ‘Feeding Haiti’s Children’. Our organization is committed to Haiti’s future and we stand united with many other organizations that have chosen to answer the global call to end hunger and poverty in our world. Currently, we collect donations through various online portals via our website, Facebook page, crowd funding sites and through in-person charity.

Our long term goal is to stop the cycle of poverty through nourishing and educating the children. They are the future of Haiti and the country’s best hope to radically change its current impoverished state. The short-term goal is to provide the necessary tools through education to the children to help them succeed and break out of their current situation. ‘Pennies for Haiti’ is working to provide a better quality of life to the people of Haiti, and we believe the children are the country’s greatest hope.

‘Pennies for Haiti’ exists solely to serve the Haitian people. We are dedicated to work together with other organizations and sponsors to fulfill this mission.

‘Pennies for Haiti’ vows to conduct all activities with integrity and transparency, in what we do and say. We accept responsibility for our actions as a unified organization and commit to financial responsibility for all donated funds. All records and documents are available to the public upon re-quest.

Our Mission

Our mission is to save Haiti's most vulnerable citizens lives through medical care, educational sponsorship and addressing malnutrition and hunger in their lives.

Our Vision

Vision Statement
Our vision is of a Haiti where its children no longer live in poverty.

Our Core Values

• Guided by Christian values to help the poor and needy.

• A strong commitment to hard work in order to find solutions for each family or family member.

• Inspiring others to make the world a better place.

• Respectful of those who we work for and with.

• Good stewards of all the resources entrusted to us.

• Empowering people or individuals instead of enabling them.

• Be an active and responsible global citizen in making our world a better place.

Mission Saving Lives

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, our programs are designed to fulfill many of the goals laid out by the United Nations. They have developed an agenda and created a plan of action to change the world, and meet goals, by 2030. This plan includes 17 sustainable development goals and Pennies for Haiti has adopted many of these goals in order to change lives for women, children and families in Haiti. Children that live in extreme poverty, have little to no access to medical care, and face undernourishment are unable to meet their developmental milestones. This inability to develop properly at such a young age can cause a multitude of physical, emotional and medical issues throughout life. (www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org)

Message from our Founder Putting Children First

Following a mission trip to Haiti in 2009 I knew my purpose in life was to help the disadvantaged children in Haiti. We could say the earthquake sealed my purpose. Days following the earthquake I created Pennies for Haiti and applied for 501(c)3 to ensure we could do the most good for Haiti. During the first five years I operated the organization from the states and in 2013 I moved back to Haiti to be the boots on the ground.

Since my return Pennies for Haiti has grown and experienced challenges I could have never foreseen. I adopted a child, a missionary abandoned a child in my custody, I discovered a city named Belle Fontaine which is beautiful and hard to reach at the same time. Haiti was named “La Perle des Antilles” for places like that. However, I would have to say Pennies for Haiti experienced the most changes in 2017. First, while providing hurricane support in Belle Fontaine following Hurricane Matthew baby Lucson died in my arms as we rushed him to a malnutrition center. Following a few hours of interviews in search for the root cause of his death. I decided to help pregnant woman in one of the most secluded areas in Haiti. Second, I learned of an acronym STEM and created a consortium named Haiti STEM Alliance to reach every possible child in Haiti and expose them to these disciplines. Last, we welcomed 16 girls in our home; officially opening a boarding school. It’s a bit different from the traditional boarding school. As much as this was a welcomed move for them, the girls exhibit a lot of disciplinary behaviors. They came with their own set of challenges. But, I believe in second chances and most of all I believe in the importance of education. Above all, that's what I want to give to these girls a well-rounded education despite their educational delay. Many of the girls are not in the proper grade for their age. However, I've learned an important lesson with the right support the girls will excel. Their report cards from the previous school year was at best an average C- today the girls are excelling with a high B+ and some with even A+.

I believe in leaving the experts do their job I do not want to open a school. But I hope to open a daycare center to ensure that children in Haiti receive the basic development skills they need. Our girls are presently enrolled at the Sisters of St. Vincent in Thomassin 25, this is school admits children that are not on track academically. The second school I will enroll our girls is Catts Pressoire which is the best school to help prepare children for the future. My motto is if we are going to do something let’s do it right. So if a child enters our home at age 3 (we have 5 children below the age 5) we should do everything in our power to provide the best for that child.

A little history on our current residents. They use to live in a coed orphanage; social services requested that the kids be split. These kids are not orphans but they are also abandoned by their parents. I have made it my personal mission to love, care and educate them so that their parents' decision does not remain a scar for them. With that said my goal is to mostly accept children that life has placed instances that are completely out of their control. When we move into a bigger house I hope to register with our General Hospital and various police stations and accept girls that either their Mom passed away during childbirth or the child was abandoned somewhere anywhere. Basically making us a “safe haven” for baby girls.

I have an idea not to say I know, that I have a long way to go before we can declare victory. This is why I'm hoping you and your team will join me in the challenges of changing the lives of girls in Haiti not only the girls here but those we can truly say are in need of a good support system.

I can't change everybody's circumstances but one life at a time we can make a difference to stop the next generation to have to place their children in a home similar or worse than ours so that their kids can have a better chance and beginning at life.